The Six Ps: 2002 A "Renaissance Year" for CLM.(Council of Logistics Management)(Brief Article)

As the 2002 president of the Council of Logistics Management, I stepped into a unique role in CLM history. George Gecowets, the Council's leader since 1970, had just retired; aria McIntyre, a staff member since 1974, was the new executive vice president; the depressed economy was having a serious negative impact on membership and conference attendance after years of unprecedented growth; and "Nine-Eleven" only exacerbated the problem. CLM made some tough decisions, including going forward with the annual conference, and ended the year with only a few scratches and the respect of its members for making some positive changes. That's why we called 2001, under the presidency of Dr. John Thomas Mentzer, "The Year of Change."

2002 should also remembered as "The Renaissance Year"--one of building on the positive changes and the solid foundation established by the Council in 2001.

There were a number of goals CLM established during this "Renaissance Year." Some were internal, intended to strengthen overall day-to-day operations, while others were external, intended to have a positive impact on the value provided to the Council's members and the logistics profession in general. These external goals included: ensuring a successful annual conference in San Francisco; developing a meaningful and actionable three-year strategic plan; and, enhancing member services while continuing to strengthen the Council's position as the preeminent worldwide professional association of logistics personnel.

To achieve these objectives, I challenged the Council's executive committee to focus on the following "Six Ps" in order to provide the driving force for achieving our goals:

PASSION: I asked every member of the EC to express passion for CLM and the field of logistics in all they do as member of the BC.

PARTICIPATION: Attend every EC meeting and actively participate in these meetings. When possible, attend Roundtable meetings and Advisory and Officer meetings.

PREPARATION: Read and understand reports and issues contained in EC notebook before the EC meetings. If there are questions, ask the appropriate person(s) in order to be ...